ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — a law
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rule — government
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mine — for digging
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. face — to confront
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — to point toward
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com